Behavior of whey protein aggregates-alginate beads filled with astaxanthin and chia oil during in vitro digestion

ESPINACO BY; NIIZAWA I; ZORRILLA SE; SIHUFE GA

JOURNAL OF FOOD PROCESS ENGINEERING

WILEY-BLACKWELL PUBLISHING, INC

Lugar: Londres; Año: 2024

0145-8876

The additionof whey proteins to alginate beads can enhance the functionality ofencapsulation systems and improve the stability of the encapsulated bioactivecompounds. In this work, chia oil (rich in omega-3 fatty acids) and astaxanthinwere encapsulated in alginate (100SA) and whey protein aggregates-alginate (25WPA75SA)beads. The behavior of both types of beads during gastrointestinal digestionwas assessed using the standardized INFOGEST in vitro methodology. Different mathematical models were used toanalyze the release profile of the encapsulated bioactive compounds. Both typesof beads protected the bioactive compounds during the gastric phase with releasepercentages lower than 10% and allowed their release during the intestinalphase with release percentages of up to 90%. The addition of whey proteinaggregates did not affect the amount of bioactive compounds released. Furthermore,Korsmeyer-Peppas model showed a highly accurate fit and the release coefficient(k) values indicated a higher releaserate of the bioactive compounds from 25WPA75SA beads (25WPA75SA beads: k= 9.18 × 10-4 s-n and k = 1.07 × 10-3 s-n,100SA beads: k = 3.80 × 10-5 s-n and k =2.20 × 10-5 s-n, for astaxanthin and omega-3 release,respectively). On the other hand, encapsulation slightly increased the chia oillipolysis, but no differences were found between both types of beads. Finally,the bioaccessibility of both bioactive compounds were not influenced by theaddition of whey protein aggregates.